Bottling-machine.



PATENTED DEC. 6, 1904.

A. SCHNEIDER.

BOTTLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUIYE 7. 1901' vN0 MODEL.

Patented December 6, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

ADOLPH SCHNEIDER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BOTTLlNG-IVIACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 7 76,620, dated December 6, 1904.

' Application filed June 7, 1901- Serial No. 63,655. (No model.)

T 0 roll whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, AnoLPn' SCHNEIDER, a citizen of the United States, formerly residing at Trinidad, in the county of Las Animas and State of Colorado, and now residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful linprovemen ts in Bottling-l\[achines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to bottle-filling machines in which a tank or receptacle for containing liquid to be bottled has connected therewith a filling valve or valves by means of which the bottle or bottles can be iilled with liquid from the tank or receptacle, and pertains especially to the maintaining of the liquid under a constant pressure in the tank, to automatically admit and shut off the flow of the liquid into and from the tank or receptacle, and to the pressure regulating and controlling means for the pressure.

The objects of the invention are to construct a bottle-filling machine having a tank or receptacle with a chamber the lower portion of which receives the liquid and the upper portion of which contains the pressure and to apply to the under-side of the tank or receptacle one or more filling-valves and to the upper side of the tank or receptacle a pressureregulator actuated by the rise and fall of the liquid in the tank or receptacle, to locate in the interior of the tank or receptacle a float for actuating a relief or escape valve for the pressure-regulator and controlling automatically the admission of and the cutting off of the flow of the liquid into the tank or receptacle, to improve the construction and operation of the pressure relief or escape valve in connection with the rising and falling float Within the interior of the tank or receptacle, and to improve generally the construction and operation as a whole of the pressure con trolling and regulating means for supplying the liquid to the bottling-machine.

The invention consists in the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

1n the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the bottling-machine of the invention with the tank or receptacle partly broken away and in section to show the float and the pressure relief or escape valve operated from the float; Fig. 2, aside elevation showing the tank or receptacle open and. in position for access thereto for cleaning or other purposes; Fig. 3, a sectional elevation showing a portion of the tank or receptacle and the pressure relief or escape valve and the float with the arm of the float broken out; at, a 1011- gitudinal sectional elevation of a filling-valve and the parts connected therewith, the iillingtube being shown broken out and in section and the pressure supply and vent tube being shown broken out and partly in section and partly in elevation; and Fig. 5, a detail in cross-section of the valve-plug, showing the passage for injecting and ejecting pressure.

The tank or receptacle is constructed of a body or bottom section or half A and a cover or top section or half A, the two sections or halves being of the requisite lengtli and diameter for the size of tank or receptacle desired. The body of the tank or receptacle has on its front side ears (6, arranged in pairs, and the cover A has on its front side ears (0', arranged in pairs to coincide with the cars a, and by means of these cars and the stems of clamping-bolts a pivoted between the ears (6 and each having a wing or other nut a", the front of the tank or receptacle at the juncture between the body and the cover can be closely drawn together. The body A at its upper side has a projecting flange a, and the cover A at its under side has a projecting flange a), both flanges extending entirely around and each having a groove or recess a therein to receive a packing or gasket (0 so that when the two sections or halves are drawn together by the clamping-bolts the packing or gasket will be compressed between the flanges, form ing a tight joint against leakage. The rear side of the body of the tank or receptacle has ears b, arranged in pairs, and between each pair of cars Z) is entered an ear 6 on the rear side of the cover of the tank or receptacle. A pivoting-rod B, having at one end a nut 5 is passed through the ears I) and L and furnishes a hinge connection between the two sections or'halves of the tank, by which the top or cover can be raised for access to the interior of the tank or receptacle.

At each end of the body of the tank or receptacle is a trunnion or journal C, mounted in journal boxes or bearings 0 on the top or end standards or uprights D, which form with a cross-piece (Z the frame of the machine. The journal boxes or bearings 0 are made in two parts, united one to the other by clamping-bolts, so that by loosening the clampingbolts slightly the tank or receptacle is free to turn on its trunnions or journals, and by tightening the clamping-bolts the tank or receptacle can be locked or held in a fixed position. The clamping-bolts are tightened when the tank or receptacle is in position for use, as shown in Fig. 1, and are loosened to enable the tank or receptacle when opened to be swung into the position shown in Fig. 2 for cleaning or other purposes.

The filling-valve shown has a casing or shell E for the reception of the plug F of the valve. The casing or shell E is attached to the wall of the body A, and in the attached end of the casing is a passage 6 to coact with the passage f in the valve-plug F, so that when the valveplug is properly turned the passage f comes into alinement with the opening or passage 0 of the shell or casing and the liquid can flow from the tank or receptacle into the bottle.

A filling-tube G is entered at its upper end into the passage f of the valve-plug and is of the requisite length to be entered into a bot tle for its lower end to discharge liquid into the bottle. The interior of the filling-tube has therein a partition or second tube H dividing the filling-tube into a channel or passage g for the liquid and a channel or passage it for admitting pressure into and venting pressure from the bottle. The channel or passage-way it has communication through the wall of the filling-tube at one end by a port or hole h and has communication at its other end through the wall of the filling-tube by a port or passage I1 permitting the inflow and outflow of pressure through the channel or passageway. The filling-tube adjacent to the shell or casing of the valve has thereon a cup-shaped cap 1, within which is a packing J, of rubber or other suitable material, and having at its center a stopper or tapered plug j for the packing and plug to tightly close the mouth of the bottle when in position for filling with the filling-tube entered thereinto. The cap I has a hollow stem 1 with an exterior screwthread to enter a screw-threaded hole in the plug-valve around the filling -tube and in alinement with the passage f, so that the raising and lowering of the filling-tube turns the plug-valve, and in order to permit of the necessary oscillation of the filling-tube to turn the valve-plug the wall of the shell or casing E in line with the stem 1 has therein a transverse slot 2' of the requisite length for the swinging of the filling-tube.

The bottle when in filling position with its mouth closed tight by the cap I and its packing J, with the filling-tube entered into the or receptacle.

interior of the bottle, is held in position by a holder or retainer K of any suitable construction and attached to the shell or casing E or in any other suitable manner and operating to force the end of the bottle into the space or annular groove or recess between the stopper and the wall of the packing,with the stopper pressed into the mouth of the bottle, making a close tight joint around the end of the bottle against leakage and closing any hole or nick in the end of the bottle.

Extending through the wall and the shell or casing of the valve-plug is a hole Z, into which is entered the end of a pressure supply and vent tube L, the other end of which extends into the receptacle above the level of the liquid in the chamber of the tank or receptacle, so as to be in communication with the pressure in the top of the chamber when the machine is in operation. The valve-plug has therein a passage Z: of an L shape, one end of which is of a V shape, as shown in Fig. 5, and is in communication with the hole or port it of the channel or passage-way hand the other end of which can be brought into register or communication with the channel or passage-way in the tube L when the valve-plug is turned for such registration or communication. The tube L, with the passage k and the channel or passage-way h, furnishes means by which communication is established between the upper portion of the chamber of the tank or receptacle and the bottle, so as to admit pressure from the chamber of the tank or receptacle into the bottle and to educt pressure from the bottle back into the chamber, placing the tank or receptacle and the bottle under an equalized pressure for filling the bottle with liquid.

A float M is located in the chamber of the tank or receptacle and is attached to the free end of an arm M, the other end of which is pivotally connected to a pendant m by a suitable pin or pivot on, so that the float is free to rise and fall with the admission and withdrawal of liquid from the chamber of the tank or receptacle. A stem N is connected with the body of the arm H by pins 12/, projecting out from the stem to overlie the edges of the arm M, making a loose connection between the stem and arm for maintaining a straightline movement for the stem as the float rises and falls. The body of the stem at one end is screw-threaded and has thereon a valve-disk N, having a seating-face a, and on the extreme end of the threaded end of the stem is a nut 9f, the threaded stem permitting the adjustment of the valve-disk and the nut, with a suificient space between them for the rise and fall of the float and have the rise of the float force the seating-face of the disk to its seat. A casing O, having an exterior screw-thread at its end, is entered into a screw-threaded hole in the wall of the cover or top of the tank This shell or casing O has in its end entered into the wall of the tank or receptacle a chamber 0', divided by a partition 0, in which is a port 0, having a seating-face with which the seating-face of the valve-disk N coacts. The lower half or portion of the chamber 0 opens direct into the chamber of the tank or receptacle, and the stem N passes through the port 0, with the nutw in the upper half or portion of the chamber 0, so that the partition 0 forms a stop for the downward movement of the stem by the engagement of the nut n therewith and also forms a stop for the upward movement of the stem by the engagement of the seating'face of the valvedisk N therewith around the port or passage 0' in the partition. The shell or casing O has a second partition 0, in which is a port 0 having a valve-seating face 0 in the partition,

which port furnishes communication between the chamber 0 and a chamber 0 in the shell or casing. The end of the shell or casing is closed, and outlet for venting pressure from the chamber 0 is furnished by a hole or holes 0" in the wall of the shell or casing at its closed end. A stem P, having a portion of its body screw-threaded, is entered through a screw-threaded hole in the closing end wall of the shell or casing for its inner end to project into the chamber 0 of the shell or casing. The outer end of the stem P is provided with a hand-wheel or handle 2), by means of which the stem can be turned for adjusting purposes. A valve-disk P, having a stud or pin projecting from one side at its center and having on its opposite side a seating-face 7') to coact with the seating-face 0 around the port or passage 0, is located and operates in the chamber ()of the shell or casing. A coiled spring P is located in the chamber 0, and its lower end encircles the stud or pin 7), and its upper end encircles the inner end of the stem P and abuts against a washer picarried by the thread ed portion of the stem P, so that by advancing and receding the stem the spring Pcan be adjusted or regulated for the pressure to be exerted against the valve P for the valve to open when the predetermined pressure at which the spring is adjusted is reached and overcome to escape any excess of pressure over the predetermined amount from the chamber of the tank or receptacle, the excess of pressure escaping through the hole or holes o in the wall of the shell or casing. A pres sure gage or indicator Q is connected with the chamber of the tank or receptacle by a pipe or tube 9 for indicating the predetermined pressure in the tank or receptacle.

An inlet-tube R isentered into the wall of the body or bottom of the tank or receptacle and is provided with a controlling-valve r of any suitable construction, which, as shown, is handoperated. A hose or pipe Sis attached at one end a coupling s to the valve of the inlet pipe and is attached at its other end by a coupllng s to the casmg of a cock T, having a valve 1' of any suitable construction, which, as shown, is lmnd-operated. The valve-cock T is entered into the bottom of the cask U, containing the liquid to be lilled into the bottle, which cask, as shown, has its bottom in a level plane with the upper side of the body or bottom of the tank or receptacle, so that under proper conditions liquid from the cask will flow by gravity into the body or bottom portion of the tank or receptacle. A pressure valve-cock U is entered into the upper end of the cask U and has a valve 1/ of any suitable construction, which, as shown, is hand-operated, and connected with the valve-cock U by a coupling w is a supply hose or pipe V, leading to a source of prcssure-su ppl y, (not shown,) which may be an air-connnessor or a compressed-ai r reservoir. The flow of liquid from the cask U into the tank or receptacle will take place when the float is down, and as the liquid enters the tank or receptacle with the float down the increased pressure produced by the flow of liquid in the tank or receptacle will escape through the port 0, the valve-disk N being unseated, and this excess of pressure will liow from the chamber 0 through the port 0, raising the valve 1 against the force of the spring P" and escaping to the atmosphere through the hole or holes in the wall of the shell or casing O, maintaining a uniform pressure in the chamber of the tank or receptacle as the liquid flows thcreinto. The float will rise as the liquid fills the tank or receptacle, and when the float reaches a height where it has raised the stem N to close the port or passage 0 by the valve N the How of liquid into the chamber of the tank or receptacle will cease as soon as the pressure in the upper portion of the chamber exceeds the pressure at which the liquid enters the chamber, thus autonlatically shutting off the flow of liquid with the closing of the escape ofthe pressure from the chamber of the tank or receptacle. The lowering of the liquid in the chamber of the tank or receptacleas the bottles are filled allows the float to descend, drawing down the stem N and opening the port or passage 0 by withdrawal of the valve-disk Q from its seat around the port or passage, and with the descent of the float by the fall of the liquid the pressure in the chamber will decrease in force by reason of expansion, and when the decrease is suflicient to be uniform with the pressure of the liquid in the cask the liquid will again flow into the chamber of the tank or receptacle and continue to flow until the float again rises and shuts off the escape of the excess pressure. The outflow of liquid and the descent of the float opens the port or passage 0', and at tl same time the valve-disk P will close the port 0 against the inflow of air from the outside to the chamber 0' and thence into the chamber of the tank or receptacle. The bottling-machine of my inventionmaintains an equal pressure on the liquid during the TIO bottling operation, which pressure is the same in the supply-cask, the filling tank or receptacle, and the bottle, being transferred to the bottle when in position to be filled. This equalized pressure prevents foaming and is maintained'under all conditions of the filling operation and is dependent on the pressure in the cask or barrel from which the liquid is taken. The predetermined pressure say ten pounds, as an illustration-is maintained in the cask or barrel from which the liquid is taken, and this pressure is supplied to the cask or barrel from the supply hose or pipe V, the controlling valve-cock U on the cask or barrel being turned to admit the pressure into the cask or barrel above the liquid therein. The controlling valve-cocks between the cask or barrel and the filling tank or receptacle are open for the beer to flow from the cask or barrel into the tank or receptacle under the pressure in the cask or barrel and the added pressure from the elevated position of the cask or barrel, and when the pressure in the tank or receptacle registers ten pounds on the indicator or gage Q the-spring P of the relief-valve P is adjusted for the valve P to open when an excess of ten pounds pressure is reached for the excess of pressure to unseat the valve-disk P and allow the excess of pressure to vent or blow off through the holes 0' until the pressure is reduced to ten pounds, when the valve-disk P is again seated by the spring P closing the port or passage 0 against the escape of pressure. The pressure of ten pounds is maintained constantly on the liquid in the cask or barrel, and this predetermined pressure is maintained in the chamber of the tank or receptacle by the pressure-regulating valve, which is set to open at a corresponding pressure of ten pounds. The liquid when the pressure between the cask or barrel and the filling tank or receptacle is equalized will flow by gravity from the cask or barrel into the tank or receptacle,and such flow,if not prevented,would continue until the level of the liquid in the cask or barrel is reached by the level of the liquid in the tank or receptacle, which might result in the liquid passing through the regulating-valve and out at the escape-holes 0 if the flow of the liquid into the tank or receptacle were not stopped. The inflow of liquid into the tank or receptacle as it rises therein raises the float and with it, through the arm M, the stem N, and when the float reaches a point, as the liquid rises in the chamber of the tank or receptacle, where the stem N is raised to seat the valve N the escape of pressure from the chamber of the tank or receptacle is prevented, with the result that the continued inflow of the liquid increases the pressure in the upper part of the chamber of the tank or receptacle, and when the excess of pressure is suflicient to overbalance the pressure in the cask or barrel with the gravity flow added furtacle and the bottle.

ther inflow of the liquid into the chamber of the tank or receptacle is stopped, the float thus acting to automatically shut off the inflow of the liquid as the liquid rises in the chamber of the tank or receptacle by closing the outlet-port for the escape of the pressure.

The bottle to be filled is normally under atmospheric pressure when entered onto the filling-tube with its end in the closing-cap. The initial turning of the bottle into filling position brings into communication the pressure-tube and the pressure channel or passage in the filling-tube, allowing pressure from the upper portion of the chamber of the tank or receptacle to enter the bottle, equalizing the pressure between the tank or recep- The pressure being equal in the filling tank or receptacle and in the bottle, with the full turning of the bottle to filling position the liquid from the tank or receptacle will flow by gravity through the channel or passage of the filling-tube into the bottle. The liquid as it flows into the bottle displaces pressure therein, and such pressure will be forced back through the pressure channel or passage h in the fillingtube and the tube L into the upper portion of the chamber of the tank or receptacle, and any increase of pressure in the chamber or receptacle over predetermined pressure therein will operate, the valve-disk N being open, to open the valve-disk P and escape the excess of pressure through the regulating-valve out by the holes 0 to the atmosphere. The escaping pressure from the bottle entering the chamber of the tank or receptacle will be subjected to an increased pressure and will be compressed thereby and will occupy less space in the receptacle than the liquid which has been drawn off and which is replaced by the escaping pressure from the bottle, and under these conditions as the liquid falls in the chamber of the tank or receptacle the float will also fall, opening the valve-disk N and allowing excess of pressure to pass through the port 0 and raise the valve-disk P to escape the excess of pressure through the hole 0 to the atmosphere, and with the reduction of the pressure in the upper part of the chamber of the tank or receptacle to an equal pressure with that in the cask or barrel the liquid will again flow from the barrel into the chamber of the tank or receptacle. It will thus be seen that no matter how much liq uid may be drawn from the chamber of the tank or receptacle, nor under what conditions the pressure will remain the same at all times, as in case of an excess of pressure such excess is released with the fall of the float, returning the pressure to normal and maintaining it there with the return of the valve-disk P to its seating position. It is manifest that in first filling the tank or receptacle from the cask or barrel the liquid first entering the-tank or receptacle will be subjected to a slight reduction of pressure in the tank or receptacle it there is no excess of pressure above that of the atmosphere in the tank or receptacle, and in such case a slight foam will be formed for the liquid in the tank or receptacle, which foam would he carried into the flrst-filled bottle.

If, however, it is not desired to have the firstfllled bottles contain foam, the supplied pressure for the cask or barrel may be communicated directly to the tank or receptacle at the time it enters the cask or barrel and before opening communication between the cask or barrel and the tank or receptacle, placing both the cask or barrel and the tank or receptacle under an equal pressure for the liquid as it flows into the tank or receptacle by gravity to enter without any foaming, thus absolutely preventing the reduction of pressure on the liquid at the time and positively preventing foam in the bottles.

What I regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a bottling-machine, the combination of a fillingtank or receptacle having a lower portion for receiving liquid and an upper portion for containing pressure, a liquid-supply pipe leading into the lower portion of the tank or receptacle at the bottom thereof, a shell or casing entered into the wall of the upper portion of the tank or receptacle and having therein an upper chamber and a lower chamber with the lower chamber in communication with the upper portion of the tank or receptacle, a partition between the upper chamber and the lower chamber, a port in the partition, a valvedisk controlling the port, a stem carrying the valve-disk adjustable thereon, afloat in the tank or receptacle in contact with the liquid, an arm carrying the float and connected with the stem of the valve-diskfor the rise of the float to close the port in the partition and shut off the escape of pressure and stop the inflow of liquid at the supply-pipe, substantially as described.

2. In a bottling-machine, the combination of a filling tank or receptacle having a lower portion for receiving liquid and an upper portion for containing pressure, a shell or casing having a lower chamber in communication with the upper portion of the tank or receptacle, a partition across the lower chamber, a port in the partition, a valve-disk controlling the port, an upper chamber in the shell or casing, a partition between the lower chamber and the upper chamber, a port in the partition, a valve-disk controlling the port, a presser-regulating spring for the valve-disk, and an escape hole or opening from the upper chamber through the wall of the shell or casing, substantially as described.

3. In a bottling-machine, the combination of a filling tank or receptacle having a lower portion for receiving liquid and an upper portion for containing pressure, ashell or casing having a lowerchamber incommunication with the upper portion of the tank or receptacle, a partition across the lower chamber, a port in the partition, a valve-disk controlling the port, an upper chamber in the shell 01' casing, a partition between the lower chamber and the upper chamber, a port in the partition, a valve-disk controlling the port, a pressureregulating spring for the valve-disk, an escape hole or opening from the upper chamber through the wall of the shell or casing, a float in the tank or receptacle in contact with the liquid, and an arm carryingthe float and connected with the valve-disk for the port of the lower chamber, for closing the port with the rise of the float and opening the port with the fall of the float, substantially as described.

4. In a bottling-machine, a pressure-regulating valve comprising a shell or casing on the liquid tank or receptacle and having an upper and lower chamber, an air-outlet port from the upper chamber, a partition between the chambers, a port in said partition, a springpressed valve disk or stopper controlling the port, a spring adapted to hold said disk or stopper against the valve-seat and prevent the passage of air therethrough, a stem having a threaded bearing in the shell or casing and adapted to compress the spring and thereby regulate the amount of pressure on the valvestopper for the pressure to raise the stopper off the seat and open the valve-port, a partition in the lower chamber of the shell or casing, a valve-controlled port in the partition, a valve-stem passing through said port, a valve disk or stopper on the stem adapted when elevated to close the port in the lower partition and operatively connected with a float in the tank or receptacle and having the valve disk or stopper arranged on the stem to close the port in the lower partition when the float rises to a predetermined point, substantially as described.

5. A bottling-machine comprising a liquid tank or receptacle, the said tank or receptacle having an upper and lower member pivotally secured together, means for pivoting the receptacle on a supporting-frame whereby the tank or receptacle can be opened and turned into vertical position for cleaning, means connecting the tank or receptacle with a liquidsupply under pressure, a pressure-regulating valve on the upper member of the tank or receptacle, a float regulating the valve in the tank or receptacle adapted to close the air-discharge port in the pressure-regulating valve when the float rises to a predetermined point leaving an air-chamber in the upper port of the tank or receptacle, means connecting the bottle to be lilled with the liquid and the air in the tank or receptacle comprising a valve or tap having an air-passage and a liquid-passage, with the air-passage adapted to be connected with the upper or air part of the tank or receptacle before connection is made between the lower or liquid part of the tank or l receptacle, and the liquid-passage admitting liquor from the tank or receptacle to the bottle to be filled, substantially as described.

6. In a bottling-machine, the combination of a filling tank or receptacle having a lower portion for receiving liquid and an upper portion for containing pressure, a shell or casing having a lower chamber in communication with the upper portion of the tank or receptacle and having an upper chamber with an outlet therefrom through the wall of the shell or casing, a partition between the two chambers, a port in said partition, a valve-disk controlling the port, a pressure-rcgulating spring for the valve-disk, and a stem screw-threaded into the wall of the shell or casing and having its inner end entered into the spring, for setting the spring at a predetermined relief-pressure for the regulating-valve, substantially as described.

7. In a bottling-machine, the combination of a filling tank or receptacle having a lower portion for receiving liquid and an upper portion for containing pressure, a shell or casing having a lower chamber in communication with the upper portion of the tank or receptacle and having an upper chamber with an outlet therefrom through the wall of the shell or casing, a partition between the two chambers, a port in said partition, avalve-disk controlling the port, a pressure-regulating spring for the valve-disk, a stem screw-threaded into the wall of the shell or casing and having its inner end entered into the spring for setting the spring at a predetermined relief-pressure for'the regulating-valve, a partition across the lower chamber of the shell or casing, a port in the lower partition, a valve-disk controlling the port, a stem for the valve-disk, afloat in the tank or receptacle in contact with the liquid, and an arm carrying the float and connected with the stem of the valve-disk, for opening and closing the port in the lower partition with the falling and rising of the float, substantially as described.

In witness that 1 claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 17th day of May, 1901.

ADOLPH SCHNEIDER.

itnesses:

G. E. HARPHAM, MAcr'rIn MoGrINNIs. 

